This invention relates to a handcraft device for permitting yarn, thread and the like to be used from a skein conveniently.
In certain handcraft activities, such as knitting, yarn or thread is purchased in a wound bundle or skein, normally without a spool. Accordingly, one of the traditional parts of a knitting project is to stop frequently and unwind some yarn from the skein before continuing with the knitting itself.
The problem of making the unwinding of the yarn more manageable has been approached previously by Kenneth H. Hartley, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,243. He has described a device in which the yarn has a rod inserted through it and the rod is mounted horizontally in a holder. The skein can rotate in the device, permitting yarn to be pulled out in an orderly manner.
The present invention provides an additional level of convenience to that of the Hartley patent. It is a principle advantage of the present invention that very little force is required to pull the yarn from the skein. As a result, generally yarn is dispensed from the skein simply by an act such as knitting and no time needs to be given to the traditional activity of unwinding the yarn.